Thursday, June 30, 2016

The prophet Isaiah depicts a maternal Jerusalem offering
comfort to the people of Israel through the powerful image of a mother nursing
her child:As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap.More powerful still is the following shift of
this maternal comfort to God:as a mother comforts her child, so will I
comfort you.God’s action in the lives
of the people is meant to be a source of joy made manifest in the people’s prosperity,
their well-being and sense of security:When you see this, your heart shall rejoice…
A similar theme is echoed in Psalm 66, where the psalmist exhorts the
people to rejoice in the God who has
rescued them time and time again, in the past and in the present: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy! is
a call to rejoice because God loves God’s people.

At first glance, the maternal image of Isaiah may seem to clash
with Paul’s evocation of the cross as a means to joy.In his letter to the Galatians, Paul boasts only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, noting that he bears the marks of Jesus on his own body.Yet the connection is clear: peace
and mercy are ensured to all who
embrace the cross, the word peace
referring to that sense of security and well-being evoked in Isaiah and in
Psalm 66.Paul, whose mission has caused
him to be flogged and stoned and left for dead, knows that salvation, in the
form of peace and mercy, well-being in Christ alone, is possible only
because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

The disciples sent on mission by Jesus in Luke’s gospel are
also warned that they are to expect hardship and suffering – a foretaste of the
cross and a sign of things to come – yet the fruits of their labors will be the
coming of the kingdom: their peace will
rest, he tells the disciples, on those who accept the Word the disciples
bring to them through their mission.And
this is a reason to rejoice, as the
seventy-two do upon their return, because their names are written in heaven, thanks to a similar peace, the well-being that comes only from service, and from the love of Christ that
they have brought to all those whose lives they have touched; it is that love,
in the form of the cross, that they will continue to share after his
death.They will learn, as must we, to rejoice in the cross as our most direct
access to salvation.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

It seems that many Catholics are unfamiliar with the names of the various items
used or worn in the liturgy. It’s quite understandable: you may see these
things on a weekly basis, but you don’t necessarily hear them referenced or
addressed. Let’s walk through the liturgy and see what we can see.

(Unlike other versions of “Church Chat,” I won’t be giving the
roots of these words.)

For Mass, the priest is vested with several pieces of liturgical
accoutrement: sometimes a priest will wear a garment called anamice, which covers the
shoulders and ties around the torso, so that his regular clothes are not
visible; the long-sleeved white garment which reaches from neck to ankles
is thealb; if the alb is
loose-fitting, it is bound by a cord around the waist called thecincture;the long neckband which reaches the
shins or ankles (depending on the height of the priest) is thestole; the over-garment is thechasuble.

When leading another sort of liturgy other than Mass, the priest
might wear a long black robe called acassock,
with a white over-garment reaching the waist or knees called asurplice, as well as the
aforementioned stole. For some events he may wear a cape, which is known as a cope. (Yes, just one vowel difference.)

A deacon, in addition to the aforementioned alb, has a stole of a
different style, which sits on one shoulder and is draped across the torso,
being fastened at the waist. He may also wear adalmatic,which looks somewhat like a
chasuble, except that it has sleeves.

A bishop, in addition to the usual priestly vestments, has a few
other noticeable items: the staff he carries, meant to resemble a shepherd’s
crook, is called acrozier.
The tall hat with the tassels in the back is called amitre. The smaller, yarmulke-looking item that covers the top of the
head is called azucchetto.
An archbishop will wear a band which encircles his neck and has a short
protrusion at opposite ends; this is thepallium.

Several items are used in offering the sacrifice of the Mass. At
Masses of special solemnity, incense may be used, either in an open container (censer) or a closed container (thurible). The prayers for the Mass are
contained in a book called the sacramentary
or missal. The readings for the
Mass are contained in the lectionary,
and are proclaimed from the lectern
or ambo. The book of the Gospels is also sometimes called the Evangelion. The sacrifice of the Mass
is offered on the altar, which is in
the part of the church called the sanctuary.
The cup which holds the Precious Blood is achalice.The small, shallow plate which
holds the hosts is thepaten.Other hosts are held in a
bowl-like or chalice-like container called aciborium. On
the altar one will find acorporal,
a small white cloth on which the chalice and paten are set. The water and wine
used for the consecration are held in small (usually glass) containers calledcruets. The Eucharistic species
remaining after Communion are reserved in the tabernacle.

Hope this helps! If there are questions about any others, please let us know!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Jesus-shaped
spirituality hears Jesus say believe and repent, but the call that resonates most closely in the heart of a disciple is follow
me. The
command to follow requires that we take a daily journey in the company of other
students. It demands that we be lifelong
learners and that we commit to constant growth in spiritual maturity. Discipleship is a call to me, but it is a
journey of we.